From Russia with love, well, almost........

Some of my girlfriends have left me, married foreign men, moved abroad, started families. Some dreamed about such all the life, others were just going about their daily business here in Ukraine and the opportunity just walked up behind them and tapped them on the shoulder, I must have been busy on those days.

I like catch up with my girls weekly, telephone, sms, email letter and now more the Skype.

I like the interesting stories they say me. Yes they now live in USA, UK, Austria and Poland, the countries that many of our people think of as "paradise" but I want say you that from what my girls often tell to me, these countries sound crazier than Ukraine sometimes !

I mean no offense to any nation or its people, it's not my character, and I can be first person in the line to laugh at myself and my nation, before I make joke about others. But if something is amusing, interesting or funny, then to speak about it should cause no press to anyone, no person or nation is so perfect that they can't allow joke, I think anyway.

Last year, my friend who lives with her man in the United Kingdom, sent for me the interesting email letter, I always glad to receive her communications, in them she always explains me more and more about her life in England, and how different it is to the country we were taught about when we together at school, but this letter was particular shock for me, in it she wrote me: "Marina, you simply will not believe it dear, here there is huge scandal, Politicians here are being exposed as cheats. They are claiming money on expenses for things to which they simply are not entitled, they are as corrupt as ours, who would of thought it" ?

Several days passed and then one evening I was looking the news on television with my mother and sister. We stared at the newscaster as he told about the scandal - "The House of Frauds" - one Politician claimed over 100 GBP for a new toilet, another claimed 8,000 GBP for a new Widescreen television set, and one Politician even claimed on his expenses for some horse dung.

The news report ended with the story of the Politician who claimed 10 GBP on her expense account for her husband to watch 2 porn movies while she was busy working at the Houses of Parliament.

Our country is famous for its corruption, and our Politicians have much to answer for, but even they would not be so brave and open as to claim money on their expenses for toilets, horse dung and porn !

One of my friends left Ukraine almost 2 yrs ago to marry a man in San Fransisco. They very happy together and live good. She speaks good about the American people and how nice they all are to her, but she says me that many times when she meets with a new person there in USA they often ask her: "such a nice accent - are you Russian" ? Each time my friend politely says them that her accent is Ukrainian and she is from Ukraine, but a few times the people have then asked: "yeah yeah Ukraine, but where exactly in Russia is that" ?

We laugh much about this, the count is now over 62 people. Sometimes one of us will even begin our Skype video call with: "are you Russian" ? and then laugh strong for a full 5 minutes.
California people may not know about Ukraine, but they voted for The Terminator to be their chief, and he the Cyborg from Austria, so I want say them: "go figure"

Well, I will bid you Asta - la - vista for now, from Russia Ukraine with love.